Hand in Hand
by my.dark.seclusion
Summary: [AU] Sasuke only wanted to find his brother. But of course Kakashi must get involved, and then there's this furry claiming his name's Uzumaki Naruto... And what's more, he seems determined to keep Sasuke from accomplishing his goal. [Eventual SasuNaru]
1. Chapter 1

**I have no idea where this came from. I really don't. It just popped into my head one day. Unfortunately, that also means I don't quite know where it's going, which might make my updates slightly slower than usual. Sorry in advance if that ends up being the case ;;.  
**

**Another quick note: THIS IS AU. Like, major AU. It takes place in a somewhat futuristic universe, the details of which will become clear as the story progresses. Also, this will probably eventually become SasuNaru/NaruSasu, so if you don't like two guys together, I suggest you stop reading now.**

**And with that, I bid you continue onwards to the fic.**

* * *

The downtown area of Konoha Spaceport. A scary thing for most people, to be truthful. Perhaps the most frightening part was the disorganization, the clutter on every street corner, filth scattered on every roof top. Filth and clutter in the form of bleary-eyed beggars and other scum – assassins and thieves, most likely – that were barely distinguishable from the dirt what with the filth caking their clothes. It was hard to believe they were part of the most superior species in the galaxy at the moment: humans.

Sasuke snorted. Well, at least _most_ of them looked human. The night was dark in the city, but even in daylight it would have been hard to tell these days, with so many secret underground body shops selling every type of modification one could imagine. Not that he bothered to imagine such things. It was heretical, really; these humans were born part of the most intelligent, well-respected race and they make themselves indistinguishable from the furries crowding the streets, contaminating the population. Just like his bastard brother.

Sasuke banished such thoughts from his mind, skirting around empty boxes and broken crates as he turned into an alleyway. His brother wasn't a furry, anyway; he wasn't THAT stupid. The furries got no respect, and though with surgery it was rumored one could almost become one, who would want to? Looked down on by the higher class, scorned even by the few humans in the lower class. Not a life anyone would choose, surely.

But what was he doing thinking about furries, anyway? He had a mission. Of course he did. Uchiha Sasuke always had a mission when he sunk so low as to enter a place like the slums of Konoha.

A barely visible movement by a dumpster not far from where he was standing caught his eye. Unable to control it, he felt his vision clear and the world around him slow down slightly; cursing, he closed his eyes and shook his head hard. What a time for his stupid sharingan to activate. If he could find the programmer who'd burned them into his eyes, he'd kill him without a second thought. Until then…

_Damn you, Itachi._

Confirming that the movement he'd seen was just a rat – vermin seemed to flock to this place, how very… unsurprising – he kicked an empty food container out of his way and continued down the alleyway, turning onto a slightly more populated side street before ducking again into an alley, this one seemingly leading to an even darker part of the city. Sasuke glared at filth caking the stones beneath him, disgust mingling with his frustration. It was almost nightfall; he should have been there by now… those directions his idiotic, perverted former-teacher had given him better have been accurate. Trust the bastard to lead him halfway through the district before reaching his destination, if not halfway through the fucking city. Well, no matter. As long as he got there, he could wait.

"Hear that, Kakashi?" he muttered quietly, slightly resentfully. "I can wait. I'm not a kid anymore."

Of course, no one answered him. Not that he had been expected anyone to. Though, come to think of it, he wouldn't put it past Kakashi to follow him; the man had become almost paranoid since the… incident several years ago.

A noise behind him put him instantly on the alert. He knew instantly that this was no rat; that ear-sensitivity training had at least been good for _that_ much. Turning his head sharply, he peered through the darkness of the alley, trying to pick out any tiny movement, but it was nearly pitch black and the dumpsters and conveniently placed alcoves in the smooth walls offered plenty of hiding places. He cursed. He couldn't risk being followed, but was it worth it to use…? Well, he'd have to, no matter what the consequences. If something was following him, he had to at least know what it was and whether or not it was dangerous.

_I'm going to regret this,_ he thought as red bled into his irises and he slipped into the sharingan.

His vision suddenly became clear as day, and he almost instantly located a heat source – most likely a body – in an alcove to his left.

"You can come out now," he announced loudly into the silence. "It's useless trying to hide from me."

A chuckle. "Okay, okay. Jeez, bastard, I was just making sure it was you."

Sasuke frowned. _Who the hell…?_

Something vaguely human-shaped leapt from the alcove and landed in a crouched position a few yards in front of him. It straightened, and Sasuke restrained himself from taking a step backwards as his sharingan eyes took in the sight.

It was a creature probably not much older than himself, with reddish fox-like ears poking out of his blond hair and a long, scruffy tail. In other words… a furry. And half naked, too; sculpted chest – _He's probably almost as strong as I am with those muscles, _Sasuke noted – slick and shiny with sweat. His faded jeans had large holes in the knees and small rips elsewhere, suggesting that he either had no other pants to wear or simply didn't care.

_Fucking lovely. First Kakashi sends me on a trip through half the fucking city, and now I've got this… thing to deal with._

"Who the hell are you?" he spat, not bothering to be polite. The guy was a furry; it wasn't like it mattered.

The furry cocked an eyebrow. "Come on, Sasuke, you can't tell me you don't remember me." When Sasuke said nothing, he sighed and folded his arms. "Fine, be that way. Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you, you jerk."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. _That _got his attention. This wasn't – couldn't be – Naruto. But where would the furry have heard that name? "You are not Uzumaki Naruto."

The furry scowled. "I sure as hell am! Jeez, Sasuke, first you don't remember me, now you pull this stunt? What the hell crawled up your ass in the last six years?"

Sasuke reached into his back pocket, curling his fingers around the throwing knife he kept there. This… thing knew way too much. Where on earth had he gotten all this information? And what did he hope to gain, impersonating Naruto?

"You," he repeated, "are not Uzumaki Naruto. The Naruto I knew had blue eyes, not red, and he sure as hell was not a goddamn _furry._"

The furry froze, entire demeanor changing instantly to something indescribable. Invisible shutters seemed to close behind his eyes, and his shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly. "So," he began, voice flat. "Kakashi never told you."

"Cut the crap," Sasuke growled, gripping his knife tightly, preparing the throw the blade with the deadly accuracy he had developed over the years. But as he stepped forward to initiate the throw, his body suddenly went slack, muscles shutting down. His knees gave out, and he cursed inwardly, vision beginning to dim as the ground rushed up to meet him. He'd let the sharingan sap the last of his energy without him noticing. Again.

And worse, he'd left himself completely vulnerable to that goddamned furry.

_I hate you, Itachi._


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, here's the second chapter. I have a better idea of where this is going now, so the next update should come pretty fast. Enjoy.**

* * *

Sasuke groaned and tried to crack an eye open, but a harsh stinging sensation stopped him, and a trickle of something warm ran down his cheek. Oh, right. Sharingan.

Damn it. Where was he? He didn't recognize the smell of the place, though judging from the scent of food and the slight metallic scent, he was probably inside someone's living unit. Most likely the furry's. So it hadn't killed him… and by the looks of things, it had brought Sasuke back to its home. Whatever he was lying on was soft and very comfortable, so it hadn't just chucked him on the floor and left him there, either. Huh. Who would have thought it, a furry with morals.

…No, that was unlikely. More probably someone had rescued him before the furry had a chance to kidnap and most likely kill him. But only furries dared to wander the streets of downtown Konoha at night… unless the military had decided to carry out a raid, but… no. He would have heard the commotion miles away, and for the military to get there in time to rescue him, they would have had to be fairly close when he passed out. It just didn't add up.

Well, whoever or whatever had rescued him, it didn't matter. For now he had to concentrate on finding out where he was. As much as he'd like to think he wasn't within the furry's dwelling, the slight smell of damp fur in the air said otherwise. Thank God for that sensitivity training he'd gotten, or he'd probably never have picked that up.

Wincing, he tried to open his eyes again, but stopped when warm blood began to flow down his face like tears. His eyes felt sealed shut… probably with dried blood.

"Easy, Sasuke. You wouldn't want to stain the sheets."

There were footsteps nearby – why hadn't he sensed anyone? – and someone was dabbing his cheek with a warm cloth. Well, at least it hadn't been the furry's voice. In fact, he almost thought he recognized the teasing, slightly muffled tone.

"Kakashi?" He murmured as the cloth proceeded to dab at his forehead.

"Yo." Yeah, definitely Kakashi.

"Where are we?"

"Naruto's unit." The cloth was removed, and Sasuke heard running water before it was replaced, wet and cold, upon his forehead.

"Which Naruto?" Sasuke muttered, more to himself than to Kakashi.

Kakashi answered anyway. "I wasn't aware Naruto had learned to clone himself. That's quite an achievement. I'll have to ask him about it when he gets back."

Sasuke snorted. "You know what I mean. The Naruto I know is not a goddamn furry. You've got some explaining to do, Kakashi."

"Maa, maa," Sasuke heard a slightly rustling of clothing as Kakashi shrugged. "I thought you already knew. There's been talk –"

Sasuke sat up quickly, scowling. The cloth on his forehead fell into his lap, but he didn't bother to replace it. "You know I've been – away. And I never listen to the local talk, anyway; half of it's garbage, and the other half is never completely true. You kept this from me _on purpose._"

"Sasuke," Kakashi began in an aggrieved and pitiful tone of voice. The man was a good actor, Sasuke would give him that. "That you would think that of me, your teacher—"

"Cut the crap, Kakashi—"

"Oy, bastard, you're awake?"

Oh great, the furry was back. "No, idiot, I'm still asleep. That's why I'm sitting up and talking."

"Oi! 'Idiot'? Who's the one that took you back home instead of leaving you out in the street, huh, bastard?"

"Did you get the medicine, Naruto?" Kakashi asked before Sasuke could reply.

"Yeah."

"Hand it here, please."

Kakashi took the cloth from Sasuke lap, and in a moment he felt something warm and foul-smelling being spread over his eyes. Sasuke wrinkled his nose.

"What the hell is this?"

"Eye medication," Kakashi replied, now dabbing at his eyes with the cloth. "It'll stop the bleeding so we can remove the dried blood."

"Hn."

"Naruto, this cloth will need to be rinsed in cold water. You can open your eyes now, Sasuke."

Sasuke did so, squinting in the light and glancing warily at his surroundings. Furries could only afford the worst as a general rule, but Naruto's apartment was almost… decent. Well, besides the clutter. Naruto was either a machine junkie, or worked on repairs for androids and possibly cyborgs. Basic tools – screwdrivers, wrenches, and similar rusted contraptions – and others that looked not-so-basic, plus a variety of rusty parts were heaped on table in the corner. Shiny metal arms and legs were assembled in rows on the wall next to a small window, which provided dim, grayish light.

It was kind of creepy, to be honest. Not the Sasuke could possibly be creeped out by some stupid metal parts. At all. Ever.

"Hey, Sasuke-bastard, you hungry?" Naruto was standing in the doorway, and the smell of something hot and seemingly edible was wafting from the room behind him.

Sasuke shrugged. He'd be hesitant to take any food the furry offered him; whether he was Naruto or not, he was still a furry.

Naruto grinned. "Come on, I made soup. With tomatoes."

Damn his weakness for tomatoes. Well… he _was_ hungry.

* * *

"You've got some explaining to do, Kakashi," Sasuke remarked after he'd finished his soup. Where on earth had Naruto learned to cook, anyway? Didn't furries only eat raw meat? "You said you were sending me to a guy who could help me find Itachi."

"That was Naruto," Kakashi replied, setting his spoon down. "Apparently he found you before you were able to find him."

"Lucky I did, too. He was going the wrong way." Sasuke glared at him.

"It was dark."

"It wasn't _that_ dark! Besides—"

"Boys, boys," Kakashi mediated. "I'm sure you had it under control, Sasuke." _Damn right I did, _thought Sasuke. "Naruto, tell him what you know about Itachi."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto leaned back, propping his feet up on the table and swishing his tail back and forth. "Itachi used to work for the same people I work for. Calm down, bastard, I said _used to_." Sasuke blinked and realized his sharingan had activated at Naruto's words. "Anyway… he left a while ago. I don't know much about 'im now…" Naruto scowled. "Well, except that he works for the Akatsuki."

"The… Akatsuki?" Sasuke said slowly.

"Yeah."

"What are the Akatsuki?"

"Oh, duh, you wouldn't know." Sasuke glared at him. "The Akatsuki are the Konoha government's method of population control."

Sasuke frowned. "Population control?"

"Yeah. Of furries."

Sasuke started to speak, but stopped. Naruto wasn't looking at him, but there was such an aura of hatred around him that Sasuke wondered whether it was safe to speak.

Kakashi made the decision for him. "They're tiny. The Akatsuki," he added at Sasuke's confused expression. "Only nine or so people as far as we know. There may be more."

"What exactly do they do?" Sasuke asked warily. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know. Knowing his brother…

"They operate under the guise of controlling the furry population 'for the furry's own good'. The way they put it, it sounds almost gallant. That's why the few humans that know of them don't oppose them. What they really do is not nearly so noble… they're murderers. Any furry that dares to stand up for himself, they cut down. If a group of furries schedule to meet and they find out, they ambush and kill them all. It makes it impossible for furries to argue for their rights, or organized large meetings. The Akatsuki will look for any excuse to kill them."

"But… why?"

"You're smart, Sasuke, you should be able to figure this out. The government is scared of them. They know they've oppressed the furries far too much, for far too long. They're going to fight back eventually. The Akatsuki were formed to stop that from happening."

Sasuke remained silent. Furries were scum, yes, but surely the government would never go so far as to _kill_ them. And, well, of course they were oppressed; they were furries after all. And the government had to right to put down rebel groups that threatened the safety of Konoha, didn't it? Honestly, what was Kakashi talking about? Furries were the scum of Konoha, if a few died, what did it matter, really?

"Kakashi," Sasuke began. "The government might be going a little overboard, but the furries _deserve_—"

Naruto stood up and slammed his fists down on the table. "What do they deserve, Uchiha?" he snarled. "What? _What?_" His eyes were fiery red, and the whisker marks on each cheek were sharper than Sasuke had ever seen them. And what was more, the air around Naruto seemed to _sizzle…_ as though heat was being emitted from his skin.

Sasuke meant to say, "Furries are not equal to humans, Naruto," but he trailed off after the first four words. Naruto looked ready to kill.

"Finish that sentence, Uchiha," he growled. "Go ahead. _Finish it._" Sasuke opened his mouth, but no words came out. The heat was _suffocating_; he didn't think he could speak even if he wanted to.

"_Naruto._" Kakashi's voice had taken on a hard tone. "Sit. Down."

Naruto paused for a moment, turning to glare at Kakashi, whose expression did not change. Then his ears drooped slightly, and he threw himself back into his chair with a "tch" sound, determinedly not looking at Sasuke.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke crossed his arms and turned to look at Kakashi. "What?"

"I know what you've been taught. Furries are scum, furries are the bane of society. Even back when you were twelve and I taught you and Naruto, and Sakura too, you obviously believed this. I didn't try to talk you out of it. I had hoped you'd grow out of it eventually.

"Obviously, that didn't happen. But you have to realize now: this view that furries are somehow inferior to humans… it's a childish belief born of ignorance and blindness."

Sasuke's glare intensified. How _dare_ Kakashi insinuate that he was childish? "The entirety of Konoha shares that belief," he sneered. "And you're saying they're all wrong?"

"The entirety of Konoha is ignorant and blind," Kakashi said calmly. "I never pegged you as one to go along with popular opinion, Sasuke."

Sasuke glared at him. "And why should I believe you? What proof do you have that furries are equal to humans?"

"Naruto."

Sasuke paused. "But he's not really…"

"Oh yes he is. Aren't you, Naruto?"

"'m half and half," Naruto muttered. "Mom was a furry."

"You see?" Kakashi said, ignoring Sasuke's incredulous face. "He didn't start to grow a tail or ears until puberty, because he's only half furry."

"That doesn't make any sense," Sasuke argued. "Why would his furry features take that long to show up?"

"M' dad did some kind of seal," Naruto replied, still not looking at him. "So I could grow up normal, I guess."

Sasuke snorted. "Whatever. You've still got human blood, it doesn't matter." Naruto's eyes flashed and he started to stand up, but Kakashi gave him a look and he stopped and settled for glaring at Sasuke through red eyes.

"Sasuke. You overused the sharingan, and that took a toll on your body, as you've no doubt noticed." Sasuke grunted affirmatively. "Since you're going to be staying here for a while, I suggest you and Naruto learn to get along."

What? No. No way. "Why can't I stay with you?" Sasuke demanded.

Kakashi smiled, and his one visible eye twinkled. "My living unit is not suitable at the moment. I'm going to be staying here, too."

"Really?" Naruto leapt up, grinning. "Awesome! I can cook every night now!"

Sasuke nearly groaned. This was going to be hell.

* * *

**Reviews mean faster updates. I really like where this is going, so there's no way I'll stop now, but reviews make my inspiration go way up.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Yes, this took way, way too long to be this short, I know. However, as I post this, the next chapter is almost finished and it is already quite a bit longer than this one.

This chapter has been looked over several times by me, and has been betaed by el-gilliath (on livejournal, if she has an ff account I don't know it), but if you find any mistakes please do point them out anyway.

* * *

"I thought you were going to kick my ass, idiot. What's stopping you now?"

Sasuke tapped his foot against the grimy metallic floor impatiently, waiting for a response. Kakashi was gone off on some errand, and had left him here with the – with _Naruto_. And he was making _eggs_. Standing there making eggs like everything was normal. Like he wasn't thinking of that time, too – it seemed so long ago, but it was only five or six years – when Sasuke had been thirteen, and left them, sold his soul, his life, for power.

He hadn't seen Naruto since that day. Well, unless you counted… but Sasuke didn't count thattime anyway. It hadn't exactly been a friendly encounter. But Naruto had proclaimed, back then, that he was going to "kick your ass, you bastard!", and now here Sasuke was and he _hadn't_ yet,damn him, and Sasuke wanted to know why.

Naruto glanced over his shoulder at him, then turned and began prodding the instant fryer. "'M going to. Just waiting for the right time. What makes you think I want to kick your ass anymore, anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know," Sasuke replied sarcastically. "Maybe because I betrayed you, abandoned you for Orochimaru, killed him, and then didn't come back like you wanted me to?" Not to mention the one memorable occasion when he'd tried to kill both Naruto and Sakura. But that particular wound probably did not need reopening.

Naruto paused in his poking of the instant fryer. _Why do they call it that, anyway?_ Sasuke inwardly grumbled to himself. _"Instant", my ass. Damn thing's taking forever._ Naruto resumed his jabbing at it after a moment.

"Like I said. Just waiting for the right time"

"Or Kakashi told you not to."

"As if he could stop the great Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Idiot."

"Bastard," Naruto replied cheerfully, probably more out of habit than anything. He still hadn't looked up from prodding the instant fryer. Sasuke leaned to the side to see Naruto's facial expression. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he seemed to be trying to fry the eggs with sheer willpower.

"What the hell are you doing, anyway?"

Naruto gave the fryer a few more pokes for good measure, then turned to look at Sasuke. "What?"

"You were poking the fryer."

"Yeah, so? It makes the eggs cook faster.

"…No it doesn't."

"'Course it does."

"No, it _doesn't_. Poking things doesn't make them go faster."

"Oh really?" Naruto grinned foxily. Sasuke did not particularly like the look in his eyes – it was unfamiliar and altogether too mischievous. His irises gleamed red as his grin widened.

This didn't bode well. "Yes. Really," he replied, feeling rather childish.

"Are you suuuure, Sasuke?" Naruto purred, taking a step forward and swishing his tail back and forth. "Because I could have sworn that if someone poked you in the ribs just _there_-" he pointed, and Sasuke covered his left side protectively. "-you used to move _very_ fast."

Sasuke growled, narrowing his eyes into a death glare. "Fuck off, idiot. I'm not ticklish anymore."

"Oh really?" He said it in the same tone, with the same expression of foxy, impish glee. Sasuke wanted to smash his face in. And if Naruto_didn't stop moving towards him right this second_, he'd stop resisting the impulse.

"Yes. Really."

Naruto grinned. Sasuke glared. The luminous red numbers on the digital clock in the corner switched from 9:25 to 9:26.

In the half second it took Sasuke to notice this fact, Naruto pounced.

When Kakashi entered the living unit twenty minutes later, Naruto was out cold on the floor with a nosebleed and a dark bruise on his face shaped suspiciously like a spatula. Sasuke was sitting at the table, eating fried eggs and looking about as serene as it was possible for an Uchiha to be. He did not respond when Kakashi asked him what had happened, only chuckled darkly.

Kakashi decided he didn't want to know.

* * *

"So. When can I leave?"

Kakashi sighed, setting his book down on the table with a resigned look on his face, though Sasuke doubted the question had been entirely unexpected. He'd been fidgety the entire day (and not just because he'd spent most of his time avoiding Naruto's attempts at revenge for the incident that morning). He'd spent hours polishing and practicing with his knives, looking through the paper to find local shops that might sell the ingredients for explosives (he was running low on smoke bombs), and sifting through the various metal parts Naruto had lying around the dwelling looking for anything useful, snapping at anyone who dared interrupt him. Kakashi knew him better than anyone; knew what he had to do, and why. It was never spoken aloud, only silently acknowledged, but the fact that Kakashi knew was there all the same, hanging over him like gray clouds threatening rain.

"Well?" Sasuke prompted when Kakashi did not speak. "My body's healed now; I can move just fine. I even managed to beat up Naruto this morning. When can I leave?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Maybe sooner, maybe later. It depends on how long it takes your Sharingan to fully heal."

Sasuke scowled. Why'd Kakashi always have to be so vague? "Why can't I leave now? I told you, I feel fine."

"You're being impatient, Sasuke."

"I'M NOT-" No! He had to calm down, or Kakashi wouldn't give him any answers. Sasuke took a deep breath, then continued in a calmer voice. "I'm not being impatient."

"Hmm…" Kakashi began, ruffling the pages of his book and not looking at Sasuke. Sasuke glared at the tattered orange cover. It was one of the famed Icha Icha series—pretty hard-core porn, rumored to have been written by a furry, though it was still very popular with humans. "The healing rate of your Sharingan is not the same as the rest of your body. And if you intend to fight him—"

"I do," Sasuke stated flatly. It was about time people stopped doubting him on the matter.

Kakashi continued as though he hadn't spoken "—your Sharingan will need to be working at full efficiency."

"And when will that be?" Sasuke demanded, slamming his fists down on the table. "Damn it, Kakashi, I want a straight answer!"

"There's no way to tell." Kakashi fixed him with a cold, hard stare. "My Sharingan doesn't work the same way yours does, you know that. And yours doesn't work the same way the rest of the Uchiha clan' did, either. We have no way of knowing when you'll be fully healed. Now calm down before you activate your Sharingan again."

Sasuke threw himself back into his seat. He resented being treated like a chastened child; he wasn't a kid anymore, didn't Kakashi realize that? He wasn't going to go off on some stupid quest for power; he was smarter than that now, damn it!

He opened his mouth, intending to explain this to Kakashi, but shut it again quickly. He didn't have to explain himself to his former teacher. His life was his to live. If he wanted to leave, he would, it was just that simple. But on the other hand, Kakashi was probably right… if he wanted to face Itachi, his Sharingan would have to be at full power.

"Where's Naruto?" asked Sasuke after a moment, more to banish his frustrating thoughts than anything.

"He went to get some tomatoes. He seems to have figured out that you have a bit of a fondness for them."

"Hn. At least now he won't be trying to tackle me every five seconds."

Kakashi sighed mock-mournfully. "But now there's no one to make me tea."

How subtle. "No. Get up and get it yourself, you lazy pervert."

Kakashi peered at Sasuke over the top of his book, the look in his one visible eye distinctly amused. "You know, Sasuke, there may be some training procedures that would allow your Sharingan to heal faster… Ah, if only I could remember…"

Sasuke fixed him with an icy glare before snarling and stomping off to make tea. And if he accidentally splashed a bit of the scalding liquid onto his teacher's hand as he was pouring it, it was certainly not his fault.

…Kakashi deserved it, anyway.

"I got tomatoes!"

_Great,_Sasuke thought as the door slammed and Naruto walked into the kitchen. As if tomatoes were going to help him now.

"Oh, you made tea." Naruto dumped his bag of groceries on the table with a thump (Kakashi just barely managed to grab his teacup before it toppled over). "Hey, that's not the kettle I usually use – where'd you find it?"

"Under_that_," Sasuke replied, pointing a heap of metal scraps piled near the sink. "Why do you _have_ all this stuff, anyway? Do you do repairs or something?"

"Naw, nothing like that. Plus, not all of it's mine. I'm keeping some stuff for a friend," Naruto explained, pouring himself a cup of tea.

"And what exactly do you do with the stuff that _is_ yours?" Sasuke demanded, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms, eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Nothin' much. Most of the big ones are parts for ships, and the ones that aren't are arms and legs for the repair droids that go on 'em."

"Doesn't sound like you _need_ them."

"Heh. Guess I don't, really."

Sasuke snorted. Why have them, then? It wasn't like he only had one or two spare parts to fiddle with in his off hours; his entire dwelling was full of banged up metal limbs and tangled, multicolored wires wrapped around empty engine fuel cases. He was obviously using them for something, but it didn't make any sense – furries weren't allowed to have ships. It'd been illegal for years. And the idea of any furry having enough expertise to build a repair droid... it was laughable, to say the least.

"My, my, Naruto, this one looks almost new. What is it?"

Sasuke glowered at Kakashi, who smiled cheerfully back. The bastard, distracting Naruto when Sasuke was trying to question him.

"That one? It's a state of the art, completely automatic fuel gauge!" Naruto leapt from his seat and grabbed it, holding it aloft like a trophy. "Detects leaks and refills your fuel and everything! 'S broken, though. I've been trying to repair it, but it needs a special sensing microchip, type S-23, and I'm all out. I've got a working one in the bedroom though, wanna see?"

"Yes I would," Kakashi replied. "Why don't you clean up the tea, Sasuke?"

Sasuke ground his teeth furiously, but did as he was told as they moved into the other room, shutting the door behind them. Oh yes, Naruto and Kakashi were both hiding something. But… what? Was it something valuable; stolen, perhaps? And if it was, why would they choose to hide it in a shabby living complex is downtown Konoha?

* * *

In a large room somewhere far away, four people sat in near darkness. Or one of them did, anyway. He was a large, dark figure, like a shadow within shadow, and he sat with the imperious air of royalty upon a decorated throne of white marble. The other three kneeled before him, eyes wide, bright, and frightened, trying not to look at the great face before them, though they were unable to stop their eyes from darting upwards every few moments.

"Well," the figure began, and his voice was deep and monotone, but not old. Probably not even far out of his teens. "If you have found him, as you say you have, then _where is he?_" The last words were a furious, snarling hiss.

"We-we don't know, exactly, sir. We have men stationed in the area. They are to contact us at any s-sign, my lord." The soldier's eyes begged mercy from the man before him.

The dark figure leaned forward, and his face fell into the light. He was a young man in his early twenties, with long, dark hair and icy gray eyes that might have been mirrors; they reflected the terrified faces of the soldiers in sharp quality. "Do you have a speech impediment, Myoudorei?"

"No, sir."

"Then stop that unseemly stuttering. You may go."

"Yes, sir." The three men's expressions of relief were evident on their faces as they stood. They bowed in unison and turned to go.

"Wait. One more thing."

The leader, Myoudorei, turned back and asked in a fearful voice, "What do you wish of us, my lord?"

"Send a message to the headquarters in the lower area of the spaceport."

"Yes, my lord." Myoudorei pulled an electric tablet and pen from his pocket and waited expectantly. The great lord of Konoha fingered the arm of his chair for a moment, face obscured by his long hair, apparently mulling something over. Then he looked up, eyes hard, cold, and determined.

"Tell them they may dispatch the Akatsuki."

* * *

Myoudorei, loosely translated, means "dark servant". 


End file.
